Healing hearts

Chapter thirty three

Xander's pov

I could feel time passing by, but I didn't know how many hours or even days had passed. I was frustrated, knowing I couldn't do anything. Cassie would be worried, and I hated the fact that I was helpless. Brian and I were locked up in what seemed like a dungeon. The boss had apparently had to travel and would deal with us when he came back.

Every day, they brought us food and water. I refused to eat anything, but I did drink the water. I had to at least stay alive, so I could see Cassie and my son again.

Brian kept apologizing to me, and promising to fix this, but I ignored him. I was too angry with him. He had dragged me into this mess, and I couldn't forgive him for it. All I wanted was to get out of here and go back to my family.

Eventually, I couldn't avoid eating any longer. I reluctantly ate some of the food they brought us, mostly burgers. It pained me to do this, but I knew I had to stay alive to be with Cassie and my son again.

Days had certainly passed by now, and I wondered how Cassie was doing. I hoped she was all right. I knew she would be worried, and I hated that I couldn't contact her.

I pounded on the door in frustration and demanded they let me out. One of the men came and ordered me to shut up or he would sedate me. I tried to bribe him to let me go, but he refused, saying he wouldn't betray his boss. I offered him a lot of money, but he refused. I was so angry, I started hurting myself.

Brian tried to stop me, and I punched him in anger. "Stay away from me!" I yelled at him.

"You have done so many awful things to me, Brian," I said, my voice shaking. "But this is the worst. How could you be so selfish, involving yourself with these kinds of people? Didn't you think about your parents, Cassie, and our son? He'll grow up one day, and he'll call you uncle. I should never have come to your aid. You always wanted me to hate you, and now you've got it." I broke down and cried. I hated crying because it showed my weakness but now I was weak.

"I'm so sorry, Xander," he said, his voice low. "You have no idea how much I hate myself right now. I wish I could fix this."

"Then tell me why it was so important for you to get money from him, rather than me," I said, my voice breaking. "Tell me why you hate me so much. Tell me why your main aim in this life is to see me miserable. Tell me why." I shouted.

"I'm so sorry, Xander," he said, his voice breaking. "But I can't tell you the reason. It would make me seem like a loser."

"And this doesn't"  I said.

There was silence. I thought he wouldn't say anything. But then he spoke.

"You may not know this," he said, "but working in my father's office wasn't what I always wanted to do. When I was in high school, playing pro football was always my dream. My dad always mocked me for it, but I was trying so hard to prove him wrong, and I worked hard, but then you reported me for stealing those tests, and my dream was killed before my eyes. My dad still gloats about how right he was, and I hated you for it. I promised to make you suffer as much as I could for what you did."

I was shocked to know why he hated me all this years, I always knew there was a reason but I  thought it was about Cassie .

"So that's it," I said. "That's why you hated me all these years, Brian."

I took a deep breath. "I never reported you to the school," I said. "It wasn't me."

He looked at me, shocked. "That's not possible," he said, still confused. "Apart from my friends, you were the only one in the library that day."

"But I didn't do it," I said, my voice rising. "I never wanted to have problems with you. I just wanted peace throughout my school years. I didn't report you. I swear."

"If you're right, then I've been a fool my entire life," he said, looking into nothingness. I bowed my head, not knowing what to say.

A few days later, the boss returned. He summoned both of us . He had had me investigated and was told that I had a lot of money. He demanded that I transfer all the money that Brian owed him, and I did it in a heartbeat, hoping he would let us go. But he didn't. He said he couldn't let us go because we had already seen their faces, and he couldn't risk it. He said he was going to kill us both and then pointed his gun at us, I swallowed hard.

"No, Caesar, don't do this," Brian pleaded. "Please. He already gave you the money. Please don't kill him. He has a family."

Caesar turned to look at Brian. "Shut up, Brian," he said, his voice cold. "You're going to die for betraying me, and your brother-in-law will just have to pay the price for sticking his nose in my business."

"No, Caesar, please don't do this," Brian said, his voice shaking and pleading. "I beg you."

"Say hi to the devil for me," Caesar said, as he raised the gun to shoot Brian.

I acted  thinking fast . I threw a stone I found and was holding at him, and it knocked the gun out of his hand. The bullet he fired hit my arm, and I screamed in pain.

"We have to run!" I said to Brian. "Now!" . Bullets rained in our direction, but we hid behind a pillar. We could hear Caesar shouting, "Find them and kill them!"

I directed Brian to what looked like an escape route. We saw a wooden door, and we broke it down. We ran out into what looked like a ranch.

My hand hurt like hell, but I gritted my teeth and kept running. Brian managed to take out two guards who were guarding the place,  we kept going. We took their guns just in case and continued running.

I began to feel weak and dizzy. I stumbled and fell down. I couldn't get up. Brian tried to carry me, but I was too heavy. He couldn't do it.

"Brian," I said. "There's a freeway up this hill. Go there and get help. I'll be fine."

"No, Smith," he said. "I can't leave you here."

But we heard Caesar shouting to his men to find us. I knew we had to keep moving. I knew I had to convince Brian to go.

"Go!" I yelled. "I'll be fine. You have to go get help!"

He looked so hesitant, but one of the men noticed him . He took off, and the men started shooting at him. I stood up and ran as well but not too fast as I felt dizzy and my temperature rose. I was shaking and in so much pain.

I hid behind a tree and saw Caesar and his men looking for us.

"Boss, we can't find them," one of the men said.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Caesar yelled. "If those men escape and report us, we're going to jail. Check the entire ranch and the rest of you check the freeway. They couldn't have gotten far."

They all spread out, and I sighed with relief. I was about to move when I felt a gun on the back of my head.

"Move, and you die," a voice said.

I was frozen with fear. I tried looking back slowly and then he knocked me out.